The Cranes
by Acier Glace
Summary: "Do you believe in magic?" Tonight KID asks that you do.


So, I'm despising the snow and the cold and needed a reason to continue to go out in that nightmare. This is that reason, and maybe it can be yours too. Enjoy. (I know KID and Conan don't really get along, but in OVA and Movies, and some episodes, they do for the greater good. So, if you need a reason... The Greater Good.)

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Gosho Aoyama, various publishers including but not limited to Weekly Shounen Sunday, TMS Entertainment, Viz Media, and Funimation Entertainment. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: "Do you believe in magic?" KID asks that tonight you do.

Pairings: None. But read into it what you will.

-X-

The Cranes

-X-

"Couldn't you have picked a better time to develop an interest in botany? Have you not noticed it's freezing outside?" Conan complained as he scuffed at the rooftop. KID had cleverly hidden away from the task force's persistent search in the rooftop greenhouse of some research lab, conveniently shielding himself through the sheer numbers of plant life.

KID hummed, barely glancing over at the detective before smoothing the crease. "I could have. But then I couldn't have set up my special trick of the evening. Besides, you arrived soon enough." He winked, hat tilting away from his face. The mask was unbroken, a smirk plastered across his face, through his entire delivery.

"What makes this trick so special?" He muttered, frowning at the thief lounging on his stomach and folding paper cranes, very much uninterested in taking him as a threat.

"Have you no patience? It's very rude to rush a master magician, tantei-kun." KID shot back, placing the white crane in a pile with the others. If the thief had been folding non-stop like this since being stuck in the greenhouse, he'd probably had almost a few hundred of those things now. Useless waste of time.

"Why would you want me here so damn early then?" Conan accused, looking around him at the roses, ferns and lilies. Most of the flowers in here, he noticed, were white or just blooming into white. With KID in the middle of it, it did seem like the perfect place to hide the moonlit magician.

"Maybe I wanted for my favorite critic and most persistent hunter to spend a few minutes appreciating just how difficult it is to surprise a detective." KID tutted at him, wagging a finger at his nose. It didn't do anything to make him seem any more mature, seeing as he was still laying on his stomach. Conan scowled and swatted the hand away.

"Maybe I have other things to do than chase after someone not clever enough to run." He tapped his foot impatiently, wishing KID would treat this a little more seriously. What happened to the rules of engagement?

"Why do you keep solving my notes instead of dismissing them to hunt bigger game, if you are so uninterested in my accomplishments? It really hurts you don't respect my methods of magic as much as I respect your deductive reasoning." KID proceeded to pout, hanging his head dejectedly. Conan almost snarled at KID. Almost.

"Stop turning this back on me!" Maybe not almost.

"You're dodging the questions too, tantei-kun. Why are you here if you just came to complain?No one appreciates a heckler and whiner." He patted the very diminished stack of paper beside him. "I promise that after I finish with these my trick will be ready, and by the time I'm done, Nakamori-keibu will probably be halfway across the city."

"It just seems like a waste of time." Conan dropped down to the ground in front of the thief, watching his hands as they folded cranes. "Don't you usually take the time to set everything up beforehand?" He paused and rolled his eyes as KID nodded happily, a smug grin stretching his lips. "I suppose I should feel honored that I'm allowed to see the master work." He chirped sweetly before mimicking retching. KID gracefully pretended to ignore him and cover an uncomfortable shiver.

"So cruel. I'm known to be very talented, tantei-kun. Just because I don't trick you doesn't mean I don't trick others. People get very afraid of the unknown. They like the mystery sometimes." KID flicked the crane he was folding at him, Conan grabbing it before it hit him. He frowned and smoothed the edges, placing it with the others.

"It's only unknown if you refuse to learn about it." He hesitated before taking one of the pieces of paper from KID's pile and copying the thief. It didn't have the straight lines and regal poise of KID's cranes, but he was satisfied with it anyway. Anything to speed this trick along.

"Learning about the unknown." KID made a soft noise that was either a laugh or a scoff. "Well, tantei-kun, let me ask you this. According to legend, if I make one thousand of these cranes, my wish will come true. It's hard to believe that wishes come true, with all the terrible things that happen to good and innocent people, but does that mean the magic isn't real?"

"It's not magic." He lifted his chin and leveled a hard stare at the other. "It's a lesson in perseverance. If a person has the commitment to make one thousand cranes, they can show that determination in making the wish reality through hard work."

"Yes, that is a rather logical explanation. You don't believe in real magic, tantei-kun?" The thief stopped making cranes, twenty or thirty sheets of paper still in the pile at his elbow.

"No. It's foolish to believe in things that can't ever exist." He took a piece, eyes falling on his small hand, emphasized when KID's gloved hand bypassed his to take another sheet. That was the size his hand should be. Not this childish hand that matched this childish body. If he hadn't had Ran and her father, even his parents and Agasa and Haibara, would his mind had followed the path of his body? Would his mind had regressed as the time passed and there was nothing there to excite it, keep it operating at the same level? He shook his head to rid the thought and watched KID fold another crane. There was something relaxing to watch the thief do something as trivial and repetitive as folding cranes. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Some kinds." KID sat up, folding his legs below him and leaning back on one arm. The other he brought over his head, making a pinch-like pose with his thumb and forefinger. Conan followed the arm up, to see KID holding the full moon in his hand, shrinking a large far away thing into something like a piece of silver. "The magic of creation. Magic of struggle. Magic of passion. Magic of friendship. There are just some things that are too special to believe we have any part in at all."

"Yeah." He brought his hand up, shielding the moon with his palm. The moonlight radiated from his hand, a soft white glow. He and KID were both silent, eyes fixed on their hands raised above them. KID finally lowered his hand, rolling a silver coin between his fingers that he tossed at Conan. "I should be calling Nakamori-keibu."

"You should." KID nodded, picking up another piece of paper and dropping his eyes to that instead. Conan stared at the silver coin in his hand, the face etched into it one he didn't recognize. "But you won't. It's a clue to where the jewel is hidden. I hoped you would have stayed this long. When you didn't follow me from the heist, I was almost concerned." He winked and busied himself again.

"Stupid." Conan muttered, pocketing the coin anyway. At least Nakamori-keibu would be happy with something tonight, after he finished ranting about losing to the thief again. "How long were you really here? You can't have done this in four hours."

"No." KID agreed, gesturing to the large pile and placing the fresh crane down among the rest. "It was considerably longer than four hours."

"But you aren't going to tell me how long?" Conan pressed, estimating that the thief folded one crane every three minutes, based on the pace so far. He was moving fairly quickly through the remaining paper and there was no doubt he was very skilled when working with his hands. But at that pace, KID would have one thousand cranes finished in about fifty hours, without counting any other variables. But KID had only finished the heist and vanished around this location four hours ago.

"I have faith you'll figure it out." KID let him take the last piece, watching his fingers as he folded the paper. The scrutiny was intense, but he folded the edges precisely, ignoring the sharp stare. He set the finished cane in KID's hands when the thief offered them, petting the folded head with a finger. He shrugged the coat higher on his shoulders despite the warmth and humidity in the greenhouse. KID set the crane with the others, collecting them together into a pile.

"What are you going to do with them?" Conan stood and stepped warily closer to the thief, examining the cranes. KID shook his head and brought a finger up over his lips.

"It's a secret." He winked and walked over to the tables with the roses and lilies. From under its depths, he brandished an empty box and began to sweep the birds into it.

"A secret? Didn't you just tell me it's part of a trick?" He asked dubiously. KID ignored the questions as he finished packing away the cranes and started walking toward the door.

"Yep. I've been saving this trick for a very special day. Now that I've got the cranes, it's time to make the wish. Let's see if real magic exists, tantei-kun." KID opened the door, sending a cold breeze into the room. Conan shivered slightly, glaring at the white-clad thief as he exited. KID stepped onto the edge of the roof, Conan following him and using the edge to peer over the city.

"You're pushing your luck." He muttered as KID offered a hand to pull him up onto the edge. He ignored it and landed heavily on his knees on the top of the concrete barrier.

"Good thing I have luck to spare." KID raised a hand, palm open and his fingers spread. The other was holding the lip of the box and he brought it up to chest level and extended it. He bowed his head, as if waiting for applause or acknowledgment from the sparkling city. Conan kept his silence, feeling energy gathering around the excitable thief. This was going to be big and extravagant in only the way KID could accomplish. The sudden loud voice of the thief nearly startled him from the rooftop, as much as he had expected it. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Then, like the city was an auditorium, KID's voice echoed throughout the city. He stared wide-eyed as he heard the echoes float back to them from far below. KID glanced down and winked, angling a bit so Conan could see the microphone attached to his collar. "Tonight, I ask that you believe in magic!"

It began slowly, with a quiet from below that was unsettling. It was like the city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen, something amazing. From behind KID's raised hand, the moonlight dimmed, a darkness creeping steadily over them. Conan looked up, the moon vanishing behind wispy clouds. KID lowered his hand, glancing at his wrist and smirking.

"Three." He held up fingers for Conan's benefit, eyes fixed on his wristwatch as his voice echoed below them. Police sirens began to fill the void, but too softly, like the prelude to a crashing orchestra ensemble. "Two." Conan caught himself leaning forward to watch what little he could see of KID's expression. "One." The lights at every multistory office complex went out.

KID emptied the box of cranes, the paper flying away in the sudden gust. KID's cape whipped and fluttered around them, Conan gaping in disbelief as the thief's hard work floated away from them and over the city. "Tantei-kun, look out there or you'll miss it." KID whispered, pointing into the distance. KID's cranes were small specks of white that were slowly growing in size. They were disjointed clumps of white, but as he watched, more and more pieces joined them. A shape began to form, an awkward and ungainly ghost of white lit underneath by the city lights. It swept away, a gust of wind curtailing the pieces, until it was a streamlined figure.

"It's a crane." Conan stared wide-eyed at the thousands and thousands paper cranes flying through the city. Somehow, someway he would sort out later, a crane, with lines of feathers, wings and a very definite face, was flying lower and lower over the city. It just lasted moments, an enormous bird of pure white ghosting silently over the city. The sudden cold drop against his skin nearly made him jump, but Conan pulled his attention away from the bird's image upwards. Snow. It was snowing.

"Beautiful." KID whispered beside him, arms spread and staring upwards.

"How did you know it was going to do that today? How did you make so many cranes?" Conan huddled the jacket tighter over his shoulders. He hoped KID hadn't just littered all over the city. Nakamori-keibu would definitely not approve.

"Secret." KID singsonged, crossing his arms and staring out over the city. "You'll figure it out. Don't worry about the mess, tantei-kun. I've had that prearranged, too." He leaned over, picking something up and thrusting it at Conan. "Have a safe trip back home!"

Conan fumbled with the umbrella as KID launched himself off the roof, spiraling downwards and snapping the glider open. KID sailed off in the opposite direction of the crane he'd created, disappearing in the darkness and falling snow.

-X-

"Stupid thief." Hakuba muttered, brushing cranes from his jacket along with the snow. Nakamori-keibu was swearing up a storm, leaning out of the car to brush cranes from the windshield.

"That's so mean." He flinched as an arm snaked around his neck, the bouncy figure of Kuroba Kaito jarring him from his angry contemplation. He snarled, shoving the magician and glaring sourly at the pleased smirk his expression merited. "Didn't you think it was pretty?"

"It's a mess. Look at this! We'll be cleaning cranes off the streets for weeks!" Hakuba poked Kaito sharply in the chest, gesturing to the cranes still falling from the sky. Kaito pouted and rubbed his chest, sidestepping around Hakuba to stare at the mess.

"Hm. Seems to be going rather quickly in my opinion." He nodded at the large group of people, children, teenagers, adults and elderly alike, snatching cranes from the air and the ground, marveling at the snow that fell as well. Hakuba frowned, narrowing his eyes at the slight magician smiling fondly. He glanced at his shoulder and picked up a crane, the snowflakes dotting the white paper with little water stains. At least, it looked like water stains... He held the crane at an angle, silver writing appearing in the water marks. _Believe in magic. _

"Nakamori-keibu still won't be happy." He conceded, gently closing his hand over the crane and tucking it away in his jacket pocket. Kaito hummed absently, still staring up at the sky. "I wonder why KID did something like this."

"Who knows?" Kaito was on his tiptoes, a smile on his lips and a hand cupped around his mouth. "OI! Aoko-chan!"

"Ba-Kaito!" The brunette appeared in a flurry of bag swings, red blush on her cheeks and a red-clad Akako following in her wake, smirking serenely at the chaos. "What did you do? Do you know how embarrassing this is?"

"Aoko-chan, so quick to blame! I was firmly informed by dear Hakuba-san that Kaitou KID is the one responsible for this mess." Kaito darted around the bag swings and smirked as Aoko stopped abruptly. Hakuba stoically weathered her glare, sighing inwardly at the position Kaito put him in. There was no way he could prove Kaito had done this when all evidence pointed at KID and there was nothing to prove Kaito was KID. Grudgingly, Hakuba nodded and the bag lowered.

"Well, what was I supposed to think? You were the one who was bragging it was going to snow." Aoko berated the magician, a theatrical sigh and bow fluidly following one another.

"I did indeed. It seems as though great magicians think alike." Akako stepped between them, brushing a hand through her hair and leering at Kaito.

"Frightening how alike you are to KID, isn't it, Kaito?" Kaito flinched away from her and plastered a large smirk on his face. He waved a hand, a red rose and crane appearing in his open palm. He smiled, far more softly than he had previously, and tucked the rose in Aoko's hair behind her ear.

"As a fellow magician, some similarities may be inevitable. I would have to say I'm a little envious of KID. It takes quite a magician to make so many different people smile." Aoko smiled slowly, hooking her arm in his as she moved to his side.

"Come on, Mr. Magician. Let's go see what dad's going to do now that KID's gone and the mess is being cleaned." Hakuba followed after them as they passed by, Akako joining his side. He gave her a long glance, saying nothing about how she snuck a crane into her bag and gave him a challenging stare. He shrugged, patting his pocket and giving her a rueful smile. They both turned at the surprised yell, Kaito having snuck up on Nakamori-keibu and changing the cranes into confetti around the investigator.

-X-

Ran was already home when Conan snuck back in. He found the girl sleeping slumped over on the sofa, winter jacket draped over her like a blanket. He dropped KID's umbrella in the hall, quietly sneaking over to her. He smiled a bit wistfully when he noticed the cellphone clasped in her hand. He slipped back out, moving down the stairs and pulling out his cellphone. With the voice changer drawn up to his lips, he called her.

He waited to hear the tone echo in the hallway, until he heard her sleepy but pleased voice on the line. "Shinichi?"

"Ran. Idiot. What are you doing sleeping so early?" He leaned back into the wall, hearing the indignant snort on the line.

"Hey! It's been a slow day for me, especially since Conan-kun is with Agasa-hakase. Sonoko couldn't come over either. You didn't call when you were supposed to." She admitted quietly. He felt the familiar pangs of guilt and sadness, but brushed them aside to tease that sadness out of her tone.

"Sonoko was mooning over the latest KID heist, wasn't she? She wouldn't have been good company anyway then." He paused as she protested. "You know I'm right. I heard it's snowing there."

"Really?" He heard footsteps move toward the window and then a soft gasp. "Wow. It's beautiful. I'm almost sad it won't stick."

"It'd cause too many problems if it stuck, Ran." He pointed out, but then remembered earlier and the stupid thief's face as they watched the snow fall. "It's a bit unusual."

"You just don't want to admit it's pretty." She laughed and then let silence fall between them. He sighed, glancing at his watch. Conan would have to get inside soon.

"Maybe another time, Ran." He hesitated, not wanting to say goodbye but also knowing he couldn't leave until he had hung up.

"Another time." She agreed, just as soft. She seemed to have picked up his hesitation and he heard a fond sigh. "I do miss you, Shinichi, but I guess I'll save the lecture for another night, hm?"

"Please." He agreed fervently. "Ran..."

"I know. Good night, Shinichi." Her voice was warm, not too sad.

"Night, Ran." He hung up, closing his eyes briefly. He lowered the bowtie and tucked the phone away. He scrubbed at his face and adjusted his glasses. He gingerly walked up the stairs and entered the room, spotting Ran standing in front of the window, illuminated by the city lights. "Ran-nee-chan!"

"Conan-kun!" She turned, surprised and delighted, a smile on her face. "Did you enjoy your time with Agasa-hakase?"

"Hm." He nodded, walking to her and letting her brush his hair out of his eyes. "We didn't catch KID this time, though."

"Too bad." She sat on the couch, Conan climbing up beside her.

"Yeah, Nakamori-keibu was pretty mad. But, KID did do something kinda cool. For a criminal." He scrunched up his face, inwardly snorting at being forced to praise KID. Of all the lows...

"Really?" Ran did look interested, and he smiled in spite of himself. He nodded and then spread his arms open wide.

"It was this huge crane! All white and it brought the snow!" He paused and pulled a crane from his pocket, the edges dulled down and bent, but he straightened it as best as he was able. "It made little cranes fall, too." He held it out to her, watching her expression closely as she took the crane.

"Oh, how cute." She straightened the wings, a laugh escaping her as she ran a finger over the wing. "It does seem like something KID would do." Her hand shook once and she handed it back to him, his eyes falling to the wing and the words that appeared there in the water stains. "Sometimes I really do believe. Somethings just make you believe."

He stared at the crane, then up at her. Her eyes were a little wet, but she was smiling and her phone was tight in her other hand. He held the crane close and looked down at the floor. "Yeah. I guess. Magic is strange that way."

Her hand came down to ruffle his hair playfully, then slipped her arm around his small shoulders. "Strange. Unusual. You detective-types just never admit some things are amazing, do you?"

He rolled his eyes, but submitted. Just being close to her and having her smile thinking about him was enough. So maybe he owed KID something. Maybe he'd let the thief have more of a head start next time. Maybe.

_Believe in magic_. Maybe he already did.


End file.
